The Northern California Oncology Group has been organized to be a multidisciplinary cooperative group with co-equal input from all therapeutic modalities. The NCOG has capitalized on the great strength of radiation oncology in the Northern California region to make this modality of prime importance in modality-oriented protocol development emphasizing areas such as High LET delivery, radiation sensitizers and the interaction of cytotoxic drugs and radiation. Chemotherapy also plays an important role in modality oriented protocol development with Phase I and Phase II protocols. Surgical oncology is a much more diffuse entity within the NCOG with neurosurgeons, head and neck surgeons, urologists, and gynecologic oncologists all inputting into protocols along with the general surgical oncologist who attacks tumors such as breast and gastrointestinal cancer.